Headscratchers / Chaos Walking (2021)

• Why does Viola initially hide and steal from Prentisstown? At this stage, she has no idea of how bizarre this place is nor any reason to be suspicious of the townsfolk; she literally just arrived on New World. Combined with the fact she just survived a horrific crash that killed her crewmates and destroyed some of her supplies, one would think she'd openly approach Prentisstown seeking help. It would be understandable that she might avoid them once she saw the Noise, but instead she goes straight to hiding and stealing their stuff even before she encounters Todd and first sees the Noise, despite having no reason to believe they're dangerous. One could argue she was traumatized and thus not thinking rationally, but she still had the mental clarity to bury her crewmates, find a settlement and steal things from Todd's farm. It's especially weird considering she's later quite happy to rock up to another town and communicates with them openly, despite now having every reason to be wary of people on this planet.
• How were Prentisstown able to keep their Dark Secret for so long? Given the difficulty many men have in keeping their Noise quiet or focused on something else, one wonders how none of them let slip the truth around Todd, or Viola for that matter.

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